Hickenlooper’s State of the State gets approval from Colorado Springs mayor, roads coalition

The Fix Colorado Roads coalition wasted no time following Gov. John Hickenlooper’s State of the State address to commend his call for actually fixing roads, including a nod of approval from Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers.

An email from group said mayors representing the congested north and south I-25 corridors commended the governor for addressing one of the state’s most vexing issues – fixing Colorado’s roads by finding reliable funding sources for transportation. “This is fundamental to accelerate critical transportation projects throughout the state, including the expansion of I-25,” the coalition said.

“The need for reliable transportation funding sources is supported by data. State demographers estimate that Colorado’s population will soar to 7.8 million by 2040, an increase of 2.3 million from 2015. This boom in population is outstripping the capacity of our existing roads and bridges, thus significantly increasing travel times while decreasing Coloradans’ quality of life,” the group’s email said.

The coalition’s email quoted Suthers as saying, “The free flow of commerce and alleviation of congestion between Denver and Colorado Springs on I-25 is essential to our citizen’s safety, quality of life and economic well-being. The time to act is now. Our challenge is shared by our friends in northern Colorado, along the I-70 Mountain corridor, and every part of our state. We stand with these leaders to find a statewide transportation funding and finance solution. I commend our policymakers and the governor, in working collaboratively to find a sustainable solution. They have my support.”

Let’s Go Colorado

Colorado's transportation needs have gone unmet for decades. In every corner of our state, we lack the resources to maintain our roads, highways and local bus routes.

Because the state’s gas tax isn’t tied to inflation, there has been less and less revenue from existing gas taxes to address Colorado’s transportation needs. Today, Colorado spends just $69 per driver on transportation infrastructure, compared to 25 years ago when we spent almost twice that amount - $125 per driver.

CDOT has more than $9 billion in projects with no funding - and that’s only part of the issue, our local communities lack the resources to address congestion, maintain roads and improve safety. We need a statewide solution that ensures local governments have the resources to meet demands, addresses high-priority projects on state highways, and promotes multimodal transportation options that reduce congestion.

It's time to stop the band-aid approach.

In the next 10 years, 78% of Colorado roads will need to be repaired, but the state lacks the budget to keep up.

Colorado Department of Transportation

24-7, CDOT is committed to your safety and the quality of your travel on more than 23,000 lane miles throughout the state. We know that transportation impacts you on a daily basis, which is why we're always working to improve the way you move.

Click here for a map of all the projects we are planning and to see details of the projects included in your region.

Explore some of our areas of focus and what we are doing to address them.

CDOT regularly receives ideas for transportation improvements from the public. Everything from widening highways, building bike and pedestrian friendly roads, creating more transit options and constructing that long wished for light rail to the mountains. We would love to do all of these projects and more, but we’re up against a steep funding crisis.